


Of Lights and Darks

by GayerThanATreeFullOfMonkeys



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artists, Combeferre & Enjolras Platonic Life Partners, Combeferre is the best bro of all time, Consent Issues, F/M, Friendship, Getting Together, M/M, R is a cliche artist, Self Confidence Issues, Symbolism, but only because amis are very sensitive to things like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 21:12:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1048613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayerThanATreeFullOfMonkeys/pseuds/GayerThanATreeFullOfMonkeys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or the time Combeferre was to observant for his own good and kinda sorta got those two idiots together</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Lights and Darks

Grantaire uses charcoal.

Combeferre notices it the very first time he wakes up early in Eponine's room and wanders out, looking for a cup of coffee.

He's gotten his coffee and is leaning against the wall, sipping slowly at the hot liquid and staring out the grimy window of R and Eponine's apartment when he sees a black handprint on the otherwise white wall. His eyebrows furrow and he steps closer, brushes a finger over the black spot, his hand comes away with a smear of black dust.  
Looking around the kitchen he sees more of the black dust, a spot on the counter, some on the handle of a mug, along the table top.

  
He smiles and shakes his head, poor Ep, it's almost as bad as living with Enjolras' habit of trailing notebooks and pens wherever he goes.

(At this point Eponine has discovered that he's gone and yells something along the lines of "get your ass back into bed before I make you" and he quickly complies).

-

He keeps noticing it though. As if now that he's seen that chalky, dark material he can't help but see it everywhere.

It's on R's hands, streaking the browned skin with black and leaving marks on everything he touches.

It somehow shows up all over Cosette one day and she laughs off their questions, says that the art school students need to have their secrets (Joly points out that Cosette is a fashion design major not a drawing major but they still can't get anything out of her on what went down).

Bahorel somehow always ends up with a streak or two of the charcoal on his clothes after a night out and a few hours of him and Grantaire leaning heavily on each other and ordering more rounds.

Combeferre loans a book to him and the next time he opens it a small amount of black dust falls from the pages.

Honestly he doesn't know why it even interests him, he is not Jehan or Marius, he's not the romantic in the group and noticing such an odd detail about someone is normally not something that he spares this much thought to.

But the thing is, it's only charcoal that is on Grantaire, it is only black that he uses. 'Ferre is sure that he's being overdramamtic but there is something a little sad in the fact that he's never seen Grantaire use colors in his work.

Anyways, the most interesting part is the sketching.

R keeps a whole bag of the charcoal sticks in his book bag and the second they sit down as a group somewhere he's pulled them out and is drawing something. The side of the table, the hands of their waitress, Jehan's hair, Eponine's lips, Feuilly's eyes, Enjolras's.....well everything.

The sketchs are beautiful of course. Combeferre asks to keep all of the ones of Epoine and Courfeyrac looks ridculously happy when he sees the ones of Jehan.

He never seems happy with sketches of Enjolras, is always sighing heavily and crumpling them up before shoving the paper into his bag.

That worries the group. As a whole The Amis pride themselves on being hyper-aware of people's feelings and what causes them to go into a downward spiral (For example Bossuet can only handle some types of teasing before taking it to heart and Enjolras can't feel useless for any amount of time before he starts getting twitchy and loud). And Grantiare...well he's more like Enjolras than he seems to think because when he starts to doubt his abilities to do the things he loves he starts to get obnoxious and shaky and will drink to much and Eponine will look scared.

Marius and Cosette try their best, peering over his shoulder as he draws and saying encouraging things in soft voices but Combeferre doesn't think it helps. Grantaire always looks just as disappointed as always in his renderings of their fearless leader and he'll just shake his head and order another drink.

-

"I get it I guess." He says to Eponine and Courf one day as they all try desperately to put off studying for another hour. "I mean Enjolras is...Enjolras, if anyone would be hard to draw it'd be him."

Courfeyrac is snapping a rubber band against the table in time with the music playing in the Musain and it is making Combeferre want to take that rubber band and hit him with it. "It's that hair of his I swear, it's gone to far, no one should have hair that much like a mermaid."

With a sigh Eponine reaches out and plucks the rubber band out of Courfeyrac's hands and hands it to Combeferre. "Use it how you will." (He loves her, he really does) "The drawings are all great, you've both seen 'em but it's R, he's being an idiot, thinks that he can't properly capture Enjolras's essence."

  
Courf scoffs from across the table they're sitting at "Did he actually say those words?"

  
Darkly lined eyes narrow and both men shrink slightly "Don't make fun of my best friend, he's in love, doesn't know what he's saying." She silent for a moment and when Combeferre  feels a knee bumping into his he gently bumps back, just a little harder, just to let her know that he's here and he isn't planning on going anywhere. "I don't know....I love Enjy, really I do. But it's not right for R to be like this, treating him like he's unattainable and out of his league. I don't like seeing him like this."

Combeferre sighs, find Ponine's hand on the table, eyes flicking to Coufeyrac and mentally daring him to say something about how cuddly they look. "I'll talk to Enjolras."

-

God damn his best friend.

No, seriously. Why did he have to pick the guy who wouldn't know love unless it appeared on his doorstep wrapped in a pride flag with a pro-choice button pinned to it as his best friend?

"What are you talking about?" Enjolras asked, finally looking up from his laptop to meet Combeferre's eyes.

"Grantaire, we...I was wondering what's going on there." He fidgets and wishes that Marius or someone was here. Maybe he'd text Cosette, she seemed to be able to handle Enjolras in a way that none of them had been able to figure out yet.

"You already said that 'Ferre." Enjolras says, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly before fixing his eyes back on the computer screen "Which is why I asked you what you were talking about."

He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated and walks over to the couch to sit next to to his friend. Time to be blunt apparently. "Ok I want you to listen Enj because this is important. And before you say anything yes, it is as important as whatever it is that you're reading about right now. Just in a different way but still important."

Big blue eyes snap up to meet his and Enjolras isn't stupid, Combeferre thinks that he has an inkling what he's so worked up about. The question is whether Enjolras knows how he's going to respond to it.

  
The laptop closes with a soft click and Enjolras hugs it to his chest, gaze still locked with Combeferre's. "I'm listening, go ahead."

"You know how R feels about you, I know you do." He starts off, giving him a significant look and Enjolras blushes, it had been Combeferre after all that had been there in 9th grade when Enjolras had first met the then 11th grader Feuilly and gotten his first crush. It had been Combeferre that had helped Enjolras figure out how to tell the sweet girl in his sociology class that he just saw her as a friend. So despite how many (most) people thought of Enjolras, 'Ferre knew that he at least knew the basics of having a thing for someone. "But I don't know how you feel about him and you don't need to tell me" he adds hurriedly, seeing the other boy start to open his mouth."I just want you to know that I support you no matter what and while I think Grantaire is fantastic and you both would be lucky to have each other I also never want you to feel like you're being forced into something." The darker friend pauses and looks hard at Enjolras "Don't let any of us pressure or try and convince you into anything you aren't ready for ok? Not me and especially not R."

Enjolras looks like he's struggling to find words to reply and really that is a first for the both of them. "I..won't, I'd tell you, if I was uncomfortable." And it's odd, it really is that the both of them are so used to yelling about consent issues and the fact that that some people are treated like something other than humans but when they are talking about Enjolras instead of some nameless symbol it's all very different and he does not like it. "I need to think." Is what Enjolras finally says and Combeferre nods and moves to stand up but the blonde's hand on his wrist stops him. "You don't need to leave while I think."

Combeferre smiles. "Okay."

Enjolras is quiet for a long time that day and Combeferre likes to think that he understands his friend just a little bit better for it.

-

A week later there is a swear of gold paint on the doorknob to the kitchen and Combeferre looks at it for long minute before smiling and going to pour two cups of coffee for him and Ep.

  
There is still charcoal everywhere (Grantaire would not be himself without that thin layer of coal coating him) but there are splashes of red now, reds and blues and golds filling up canvases, paintings of a face upturned towards the sun.

There is a blue streak running across Enjolras's forehead that no one tells him about, a red handprint on the back of the thigh of his jeans that everyone tells him about and Eponine tells him that R has never used color like this.

"He never used to like it." She said softly, head on his chest as he runs a hand gently through her hair. They are both half asleep but Grantaire is still on the phone, laughing at something Enjolras said although Combeferre can't imagine what could be so funny this late. "Color, I mean." She continues, tracing a finger along his collerbone. "Always said that it looked fake to him. Started using charcoal cause it seemed more realistic. And I thought that maybe the color would just be for Enjy but yesterday he told me that he wanted to buy some purples and reds so that he could paint me." Her voice ends on a sigh and it's the most hopeful he has heard her sound in a while.

"I love you." He reminds her, hand moving out of her hair to curl around her bare shoulder as she twists in the blanket to face him.

  
"I love you too 'Ferre." Eponine's voice is sure and steady and not nearly as flightly as it had sounded only a year ago.

  
They listen a little longer to the muffled voice on the other side of the wall and a light rain that is beginning to hit the window. "Ep?" He asks, voice quiet and calm because he knows that they are both almost asleep.

  
"Hmm?"

  
"I want to keep this." He doesn't clarify but they both know what he means, this, them, their life.

  
Her arms reach around to hug him around the waist and he can feel her sleepy smile against his neck. "Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> So after my art class today I had charcoal all over myself which of course led to Grantaire feels which led to this. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!
> 
> EDIT: I now have a fandom blog!! Come talk to me at crossroadsbela.tumblr.com!! I'd love to hear from you guys!


End file.
